Our Faculty

Our Administration

Sally Padgett
Head of School

Ms. Padgett grew up attending a small Montessori school in South Florida. After receiving Master’s degrees in Family Therapy and Business Administration from Barry University and Florida Atlantic University, her true calling was to put it all together at Bridges where her boys attend. Before joining Bridges in January of 2007, Ms. Padgett was a Mental Health and Marriage & Family Therapist and Marketing and Human Resource Coordinator.

Amber Resetar
Business Manager

Ms. Resetar received her B.B.A. in Accounting from Florida Atlantic University and became a Certified Public Accountant in 2005. Ms. Resetar is a former business owner of Sweet Repeats in Stuart and a mother of two Bridges students.

Valorie York
Office Administrator

Ms. Valorie York joined Bridges as a parent and Classroom Ambassador in 2008. Ms. York is an invaluable member of our administrative team and always has a smiling face at our front desk. Ms. York is passionate about children and skin care and is a licensed aesthetician.

Infant & Toddler Faculty

Janet Shiller
Infant and Toddler Department Head, Toddler Directress

Ms. Shiller has been an integral part of the Bridges family for almost 2 decades! She began as our Infant and Toddler Directress in August of 1995 and hasn’t looked back since, currently serving as our Infant and Toddler Department Head. Ms. Shiller received her American Montessori Society Infant and Toddler Credential and has attended the Montessori Peace Education Academy. She has taken courses specifically on Interpersonal Behavior, Multiple Intelligences, Redirecting Children’s Behavior, and Conscious Discipline. Ms. Shiller’s five children have all attended Bridges, and she stated that “The education they received made a great impact on the way they learn and their enthusiasm for learning.”

Melissa Quigley
Toddler Directress

Ms. Quigley joined Bridges as Toddler Intern and Assistant in August of 2004, and is currently one of our Toddler Directress. She received her CDA Credential from Indian River Community College, her Infant/Toddler Montessori Certification from South Florida Montessori Education Center, and her Bachelor's Degree at Indian River State College. Ms. Quigley is proud to be a professional member of the American Montessori Society. In her free time, she loves to relax and fish with her husband.

Carol Gauthier
Toddler Directress

Ms. Gauthier became part of the Bridges team as a Toddler Assistant in May of 2007. Before that, she has worked as a substitute teacher in infant, toddler, and pre-primary environments and worked for seven years as a Veterinary Assistant and Receptionist at All Paws Animal Hospital. Ms. Gauthier completed her Infant and Toddler Montessori during the summer of 2013 and has participated in many child-focused courses such as Redirecting Children’s Behavior and Nutrition Training. When she isn’t caring for our Bridges toddlers, Ms. Gauthier enjoy horseback riding in their spare time.

Pre-Primary Faculty

Jennifer Richards
Pre-Primary Department Head

Ms. Richards joined Bridges in 2012 with a rich Montessori background. Ms. Richards previously served as a Directress at the Montessori Children's House in Ohio. She has her Master's in Geology from Texam A&M Univeristy and her AMI Certification from the Ohio Montessori Institute. Ms. Richards is a member of the American Montessori Institute and the North American Montessori Teachers' Association. After hours, Ms. Richards enjoys spending time with her boys, kickboxing, and biking. She also holds a taekwondo blackbelt.

Ms. D'Apolito started as an Infant Directress at Bridges in February of 2009. Ms. D'Apolito completed her Montessori Pre-Primary training and received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. When not working hard at Bridges and school, she enjoys vacationing in Maine with her family and spending time at the beach with her favorite four legged friend.

Elementary Faculty

Alyson Mann
Academic Dean, Elementary Directress

Ms. Mann has been with Bridges since it opened its doors in 1992. She began as our very first pre-primary directress. She later progressed to become our lead Junior Elementary Directress and is now Bridges’ Academic Dean and Elementary Directress. Before joining Bridges, Ms. Mann worked at Martin Downs Montessori and Summit Montessori. She is Montessori certified for birth-12, and is a member of the American Montessori Society. Ms. Mann grew up and received her training in Ireland. She enjoys sharing her culture with her students, especially Irish dancing.

Susan Lear
Elementary and Middle School Directress

Ms. Lear came to us from across the globe; moving to the United States in 1998 from Hungary. She began at Bridges as a Pre-Primary Directress in August of 2003, and previously was an Elementary Assistant at Turtle River Montessori and a Substitute Teacher at Palm Beach County Elementary Schools. Ms. Lear has her Associate’s of Art degree and her AMS Early Childhood Degree from Palm Beach Community College, an her Exceptional Student Education Degree from Florida Atlantic University. While not at Bridges, Ms. Lear is passionate about exercise and traveling.

Ms. Lipp has been involved in progressive, magnet schools within the public school system since 2000. Ms. Lipp has a wealth of experience in the elementary grades and curriculum development. She obtained a Masters' of Art in Teaching from Queens College and completed her American Montessori Elementary Training from Summit Montessori. Ms. Lipp has her Florida Teacher's Certificate and New York Teacher's Certificate. During her time away from school, Stephanie enjoys time with her young son who also attends Bridges.

Karen Shipper
PE Teacher

Ms. Shipper joined Bridges in August 2008, and has served as our PE Teacher. She received her Bachelor’s in Communication/Journalism from the University of Shippensburg, and her Master’s in Exercise Physiology from the University of Central Florida. Ms. Shipper is certified with the American Heart Association and has her Florida Teacher’s Certification for K-6. Ms. Shipper incorporates activity into all areas of her life — boating, running around Disney World, or on the PE field. She enjoys being close to her daughter who graduated from Bridges.

Kym Davis
Elementary Art Teacher and Elementary Assistant

Ms. Davis joined Bridges as an Infant Assistant in 2010. She has a highly creative background with experience in business, interior design and the entertainment business. Ms. Davis owned her own murals and faux finishes business for 14 years. She also has a background in art instruction at the teaching level. Ms. Davis has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Moore College of Art and Design in PA.